Double Bender
by Demetry2499
Summary: When the Dai Li returns, the Gaang needs shelter in a place that cannot get tracked down. Legend has it that long ago, a lost section of the Water Tribe called the Iceberg Tribe broke off from the Southern Tribe. When the Gaang finds the lost tribe, they discover a mysterious double bender named Emma Lee. But is Emma Katara's long lost friend? Or Zuko's long lost rival?
1. Chapter 1

The Gaang had been walking for hours now, without stopping. They were starting to get tired and annoyed, especially Sokka.

"Are we there yet?" he whined for the seventeenth time.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Do you see a giant iceberg in front of you? Or even any water?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure if it's real or not."

Toph stared. "Have you been drinking cactus water again? Because I think you're starting to hallucinate."

"That's what happens when I'm hungry," he said.

Aang sighed. "I'm still not used to not having Appa around. I hope he's not lonely."

Katara smiled sympathetically at him. "We did the right thing, leaving him behind. He had a broken leg. The Kyoshi Warriors will take good care of him. And besides, he has Suki and Momo with him."

"Yeah," Aang said, but the others could tell that he was distant.

Toph stopped. "How long have we been in this desert? I hate not seeing!" As if to prove her point, she crashed into Zuko.

"Watch where you're going, Twinkle Toes!" Toph demanded.

"Um, I'm not Aang. I'm Zuko."

Toph turned red. "Oh. Sorry."

Zuko turned to Katara. "Will you at least tell us where we're going?" he said exasperatedly.

"I did. Six times. There have been sightings of a legendary lost Water Tribe called the Iceberg Tribe. We're going to the last place it was spotted so that we can find the lost tribe. Ever since the Dai Li showed up again, we've been found everywhere. It's like when Azula was tracking us down—we can't get a break!"

"And your point is?" Sokka interrupted.

Katara glared. "My point is, I have an old childhood friend who lives in that very Iceberg Tribe. I think that she can help us. She also runs a small hotel in the Earth Kingdom. Supposedly, the Iceberg is currently docked right next to it. Either way, we're bound to find her there."

Suddenly, a town appeared in the distance. "There it is!" Katara shouted. "Everyone, to Watearth City!"


	2. Chapter 2

The Gaang had finally arrived at Watearth City. It was a small city, and most of the buildings were weather beaten or poorly made… most of them.

Katara pointed to the sky. "Look up, guys. We're here."

The Gaang looked up. They saw a spectacular building, three times the size of any of the others. It was obviously built by an earthbender, as it seemed to be made entirely out of stone. The earthbender who made the building must have been an expert, for the building was masterfully constructed.

"This is the hotel I was talking about. My old friend made it. She constructed this entire building out of rock and ice."

"Rock _and_ ice? Is she a waterbender or an earthbender?" Aang asked.

Sokka's eyes widened. "No. Not her!"

Toph looked shocked. "Is this who I think it is?"

Zuko went pale. "I hope I'm wrong about this."

A girl with curly dark brown hair and dark brown eyes stepped out of the hotel. She wore her hair in a loose ponytail and she was very tan. She wore a traditional Water Tribe outfit. She bowed her head. "I am Emma Lee, creator and owner of the Watearth Hotel. Pleased to meet you." then she looked up. "Katara?"

Katara ran over and hugged the girl. "Emma! It's been so long."

"Katara! I can't believe you came! And I see you've brought Sokka with you."

"Yeah," Sokka grumbled. "But only because I was too busy thinking about meat to realize that she was talking about you."

Emma laughed. "Don't worry, Sokka. I'm not annoying anymore. Well, at least, I'm not _that_ annoying."

She turned to Toph and bowed. "Hello, Blind Bandit."

Toph bowed back. "Hello, Double Bender."

They both laughed. Then Emma turned to Zuko. She bowed. "Fire Lord Zuko. Pleasure to meet you again." She smiled at him.

"Hi, Emma," he said uncomfortably.

Then she bowed to Aang. "And you must be Avatar Aang. I must say, it is an honor to meet you in person."

"Um, thanks," he said modestly. "Am I the only person here that you haven't met before?"

She nodded. I knew Sokka and Katara since I was really little. That was before my family evacuated to the Iceberg Tribe. Toph and I met after that, when I moved in with my dad in the Earth Kingdom. That's also when Zuko and I met; I followed him onto his ship."

"You what?" Sokka exclaimed. He burst out laughing.

I nodded. "Yeah. I was kind of stalking him."

Zuko turned red. "Would you stop telling people that!"

Emma laughed. "Sorry. Couldn't help myself."

"Wait," Aang said. "Katara said that the building was made of rock and ice. You said that you lived in both the Iceberg Tribe and the Earth Kingdom. Toph called you Double Bender. Does that mean…?"

Emma nodded. "Yup. I'm a waterbender _and_ an earthbender."

Aang's eyes widened. "How is that possible?"

She shrugged. "My mom's from the Water Tribe and my dad's an earthbender." She looked around nervously. "We shouldn't be talking about this out here. Let's all go inside."

They followed her through the massive doors into the hotel.


End file.
